A valid diagnostic classification should divide patients into more homogenous groupings so that common biological variables may be determined. Recent studies of some depressives have demonstrated abnormalities in neuroendocrine functioning and metabolite excretion. Clinically, it appears that depressives are a heterogeneous group. However, subclassifications of depressive disorders based on clinicial variables have failed to adequately explain varying neuroendocrine and metabolite findings. A familial classification of depressive disorder has been shown in a recent study to be able to explain variations in one neuroendocrine abnormality, (response to dexamethasone administration). Before that study these findings were unexplainable by other diagnostic classifications. In this study we hope to verify that a familial subtyping of depression can more adequately explain other neuroendocrine and metabolite abnormalities that have not correlated well with other classifications. This will provide a usable classification for the study of homogeneous groups of depressives, and will suggest that neuroendocrine and metabolite abnormalities in some depressives may reflect etiology rather than simply a secondary finding to clinical symptomatology.